Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-23

woman. She made little reference to
the previous nights adventure, only
saving:
Il hear Sarah is ILL., had to 90 in
search of my breakfast myself this
morning. hope she is better.
But the look on her worn face of r.
relief from 4 hated burden belied her
words. She had not dared even to visit
her child while that harry was about.
Mrs. Rayner said she would have
dinner with me on that day. and went
downstairs first in order 10 leave her
with the child few moments. At the
foot of the stairs | found the elti,h
Mona playing with Sarah'S housekrcp-
ing keys. l thought they would be
safer in my care than Mona's and so |
took them from her. but not without
many fearless ccreams and howls on
her part. / thought to myself how
Sarah would be annoyed if she knew
her keys were in my possession, but
was glad had them when Jane came
to me and said the new nurse-Mrs.
Saunders - must have some bottled
stout to drink. Jane said the stout
was either in the cellar or the store
cupboard, and as the nurse was making
a great fuss about it, l undertook to
find it. / did not like the task, but
thought it better for me to venture into
Sarah's domain than to intrust the
duty to Jane. Just as | was starting
Jane asked me to get some candles
and moist sugar which she knew Sarah
had bought the day before.
Twas growing nervous as pulled open
the heavy door of the left wing, and
entered that mysterious portion of the
house sacred to Mrs. Rayner. Oh, how
cold it was! entered the store room,
a big bare looking apartment, and
opened the cupboard in search of the
candles and moist sugar. They were
not there and | opened another cup
board but could not find them.
At last caught sight of a black bag
lying on the floor which looked like
the one l had seen Sarah have when
she started for town the day before.
Perhaps she had not removed her pur-
chases. took it and my attention
was directed to a board on the floor
directly under where it had been lying,
h which there was a tiny ring. I put
my finger thrSagh it and found that it
raised a trap door. The rush of cold
air that came through the door as l
opened it almost took my breath away.
l held my candle over the opening and
saw that some three feet below the lad
der was green and slimp, and that q
foot below that there was water Was
it well? Suddenly there flashed
through my mind Sarah's words in her
delirium of the night before: 1.-THE
waters deep in the cellar" l looked
about me for something to try the depth
Of the water with, for 60 down l must.
l found rod that looked like those
used for the bottom of window blinds,
and cautiously. candle in hand. vent
ured on the ladder. 1t was quite firm.
As soon as l was on the bottom dry
step, the fourth from the top, saw
that was in large cellar, on one side
OF which were empty wine-bins which
looked rotten and green. Above the
level of the water the walls were green
too. There was a tiny grating high up.
from which down to the water there
was long green streak, as if wafer
continually ran down there. heard
the drip, drip at intervals while l
stayed. The cellar ran to the left
under Mrs. Rayner's room. suddenly
thought with horror. Did she know
that she might be living over q we'll?
tried the depth of the water; it was be-
tween three and four feet. Then
looked through the rungs of the ladder
l was standing on, and thought that
saw something behind it. Putting out
my rod, l felt something soft which
shook at the touch. l peered round
the ladder and saw, on a big deal table
the top of which had been raised about
eight or ten inches above the water 8
level, the little brown portmanteau
had seen Tom Parkes carry across the
lawn, the same that I had afterward
discovered inside the back-door. And
l remembered now where l had
seen it before slowed away at
the bottom of cupboard in the room
l had occupied at Denham Court.
knew it by IN old Italian luggage-label,
"Torino," which l had noticed there.
1t was within arms reach through
the rungs of the ladder. With
trembling fingers l opened it-for it
was not even fastened-and, to my
horror, drew out from a confusion Of
glittering things with which it was half
filled serpent bracelet l had seen
Lady Mills wear. Iput it back, closed
the portmantcau, with difficulty, and
chung to the ladder. overwhelmed by
my discovery.
Again my brain seemed to whirl
round, as it had done on the previous
night. when Sarah had been on the
point of revealing James Woodfall's
other name. My candle slipped from
my fingers, fell with hiss and splash
into the water below. and I was in
darkness.
CHAPTER XIV.
l gave one cry as I found myself in
the darkness and then felt my way up
the ladder out of that dreadful cellar
into the store-room above. I closed
the trap door, CROPPED my way to tho